Four sole earners died in Tongi factory explosion

Four of the deceased from the explosion at packaging factory Tampaco Foils Ltd in Tongi early Saturday have been identified as the sole breadwinners for their families. Rashed, 20, Shankar Sarker, 25, Gopal Das, 26, and Al Mamun, 40, are among the 10 victims identified so far by their families. Rashed, a rickshaw puller from Dolakanda village in Mymensingh district, was crushed under a brick wall while he was passing by the factory at the time of the explosion. Fourth among five siblings, Rashed worked hard to keep his studies going at Open University of Bangladesh, said his elder sister Bedana Begum. She told the Dhaka Tribune: “Rashed was the only earning member of his family. He left behind his widow and a three-year son.” “My brother's dreams of rescuing the family from the clutches of poverty also got crushed by the brick wall.” Shankar Sarker, a cleaner at the factory, had quit studies in order to support his family. He was identified by his maternal uncle Pabitra Majumder. Another cleaner Gopal Das was the only wage earner for his seven-member family. His parents were trying to send him abroad with the help from relatives, said his uncle Brojen Das, who identified him. Al Mamun has left behind his widow and three children, said his brother-in-law Sagir Molla. He said: “He was working as an operator at the factory and was the only working person of the five-member family.” All four deceased had plans to celebrate the Eid holidays with their loved ones. Their deaths have not only marred this festival, but shattered the livelihoods of their families. The other victims that died in the explosion are -- security guards Abdul Hannan and Jahangir Hossain, packaging operator Rafiqul Islam, Shift-in-Charge Shuvas Chandra, generator operator Anisur Rahman and floor operator Idris Ali. At least 24 people were killed and 50 more injured when an explosion took place at the packaging factory Saturday around 6.15am in Tongi, on the outskirts of Dhaka. The explosion triggered a massive fire and led to the collapse of the four-storied factory building of Tampaco Foils Ltd in the BISIC industrial area in Gazipur district. What caused the boiler to explode is yet to be ascertained. Fire fighters are still trying to bring the blaze under control. Officials say about 100 people were working at the factory when the explosion took place. The factory is owned by Mokbul Hossain, a resident of Sylhet.